Steam-dredge



(No Model.) -3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. HUSSEY. STEAM DREDGB ,531. Patented Sept. 25, 1894.

IN VEN TOR WITNESSES: M a/lflw z .4 TTOHNE) 3 Sheets-8heet 2.

(No Model.)

L. HUSSBY. STEAM DREDGE.

No. 526,531. Patented Sept. 25,1894.

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WITNESSES.

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' 3 Sheets-Sheet 8. L. HUSSEY. STEAM DREDGB.

(No Model.)

No. 526,531. Patented Sept. 25, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI HUSSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE MINING AND DBEDGINGPOWER COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM-DREDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters am. 526,531, dated September 25,1894.

Application filed April 5, 1892. Renewed Jul 15, 1893. Again renewedJanuary 29, 1894,9116 again renewed August 17, 1894.

' Serial No. e2o,e1e.[ (No model.)

1'0. aZZ whom itJm/(ty concern.- Be it known'that I, LEVI HUssEY, acitizen of the United States, and a residentlof New York city, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in Steam-Drodges, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to an improved steam-dredge of that class,in which the suction-pipe is arranged in a central opening of the bargeand raised or lowered by hoisting devices on a suitable derrickindependently of the steam-pump to which the same is connected; and theinvention consists of the combination, of a centrifugal pump supportedon a barge, a suction-pipe connected with said pump and extendingthrough a longitudinal center-opening of the same in downward direction,the vertical end-section being connected by a flexible joint with theinclined section of the suction -pipe, and

means for hoisting or lowering the suction pipe.

The invention consists, secondly, of the combination, with the lower endof the suc: tion-pipe, of a grappling fork or bucket,

guided on the lower end of the suction-pipe and composed ofoscillatingjaws having teeth, said bucket being operated bytwo sets ofchains, one set of chains serving to open the jaws by raising theguide-collar from which the actuating levers of the jaws are suspendedwhile the other set of chains serves to close the jaws, by lowering theguide-collar and pulling up the pivots of the jaws. Both sets of chainspass in opposite direction around a suitable drum on the Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 and 5 arerespectively an end-elevation and a side-elevation of a grappling hookor bucket arranged at the end of the suction-pipe, showing the samedrawn on alarger scale. I j

.. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A representsa barge or other vessel,which ismoored in a suitable manner to the place where the dredging operation isto be performed.

Acentrifugalpump B is arranged on the barge and operated by belt andpulley-transmission from a suitable steam-engineC, which receives itssteam from the boilers D that are arranged at one end of the barge. Atthe other endof the barge is arranged a derrick E with itshoisting-device e for the suctionpipe B which is connected by a pivotjoint at its upper end with the centrifugal pump B and adapted to swingin a vertical plane independently of the pump B, said suctionpipe beingapplied for this purpose by suitable stuffingboxes to the casing andshaft of the pump.

The suction-pipe B extends through a 1ongitudinal central opening a ofthe barge A in downward direction, it being supported by a chain 19 thatis attached to a ring I) on the curved lower end of the suction pipe B,said chain being guided over a pulley b at the top of the derrick, ontothe winding-drum of the hoisting device that issupported in bearingsof the derrick, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower verticalsection B of the suction-pipe B is connected. by a flexible joint 13with the curved end of the suction pipe, said section being providedwith a fixed collar f at its lower end, and with a grappling fork orbucketF that is formed of two jaws F each of which is armed with a rowof sharp teeth, said jaws being suspended by two pairs of lever arms, Ffrom pivot links f, of a guide-collar G on the lower section B of thesuction-pipe B. The pivot links f are again pivoted to lugs f of theguide-collar G, While that are also attached tothe lugs f of theguide-collar G; passed through they pulley blocks f and then in upwarddirection over guide-pulleys f f, on the derrick E, to a winding-drum H,which is located at the base of the derrick in close proximity to thehoisting.

device of the suction-pipe B, as shownin Fig; 2. The chains 9 g, arealso conducted over guide-pulleys on the derrick to the windiugdrum H,and are wound in opposite direction to the chains 9 9' around thewinding-drum H; so that when the same is turned in onedirection, thegrappling fork F is raised along the lower end B of the suction pipe B,and

opened; while, when; the winding-drurn is turned in opposite direction,the grappling fork is lowered and closed, asshown in Fig. 4, in whichthe dotted lines show the lowered and the full lines the raisedpositionof the grappling fork F. The simultaneous winch ing andunwinding of the chains g g and g g s on and from the drum H producesthe raising of the guide collar G and'the lowering of the pulley-blocksf from which'the pivots of the jaws are suspended, so that the jaws ofthe grappling fork orabucket Fare opened, while the simultaneousunwinding of the chains 9 and winding up of the chains g on the drum H,produces the lowering of the guide-collar and the lifting of i thepulley: blocks and thereby the closingof the jaws as) shown in dottedlinesin Fig. 4. :By the closing of the jaws, the teeth thereof enterinto the ground and loosen'the same-sufli-s ciently so that it can bedrawn by the pump into thesuction-pipe, on theopeningof'the jaws. Thequick closingand opening of the jaws by the quick turning of thewinidingdrum H first in one then in the opposite direction keeps up theloosening of-the ground and feeding of the same to the suction-pipe,

The hoisting-device e of thesuction-pipe B" raises or lowers the same soas toadapt its mouth and the grappling fork on the lower section of thesame to the uneven surfaceiof' the ground to be dredged, while thewinding drum H serves for the purpose of raising or lowering theguide-collar on the end of the suction pipesso asto open or close thegrap pling fork and loosen the ground sufiiciently for thesuction actionof 'the puinp.

Whenever the grappling fork has a quain tity of groundloosenedsufficiently it is sucked in by the pump B and conducted through onsetthe branches ofthedisohargeipe vP to one side 'or' theother of the barge1 into a scow, that is placed alongside of ,the

barge, said dischargapipe being; provided with gate-valves,soas topermit the'flowof' the liquid mass raisedthroughthe suction pipe to thescow at either side of the, barge. p

The operation of m improved steam-dredge is as'followsz" One attendantis stationed at the hoisting-drum for the suctionpipe and thewinding-drum for the, grappling fork and lowers the suction pipe intotheproper posi tion for the action of-the grappling fork. By

Patent, iss p 1; The combination, with a barge having a t i turningthewinding-drum-alternately in oppositedirections, the ground is loosenedbythe grappling forkand supplied to the mouth of the suction pipe andconveyed with a certain quantity of water through thecentrifu: I galpump and the dischargerpipeiinto the S scow, The winding drum of thegrappling fork may be operated by handor steam, while thecentrifugalpump has a continuous 1110-.

tion, so asto take up any loose matter, such as sand and similarsubstances from the bot tom of the river or other water course duringthe time the grappling fork is in raised and open position and while thesuction-end of 1 the suction pipe is closeto the ground, while by theclosing of the grappling fork theinore rigid and solidportions ofthebottoin are 7 taken up and sucked in with asufficient quantity ofwater that serves for the 1ubri cation of the same in the suctiompumpand Y thence through the discharge-pipe into the By the arrangement ofthe grappling fork in connection with the lower end of the sue-I of thechannel to the required depth produced.

tion pipe a very effective loosening of the ground on the bottom of achannel, river canal or other water course is obtained and a thereby thevery quickand efiective dredging 9 5' Having thus described'inyinvention, what i I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetterslongitudinal center-opening passing vertically through the same, of apump on said barge nearone end of said opening a suction-i pipe jointedto the casing of the-pump and barge, a lower end section connected by aflexible joint with the lower endof the mainsection of the suction-pipe,a derrick at the opposite .end of the center-opening of the extendedthrough; the center-opening of the I barge, a hoisting-device connectedwith the main-section'of the suction pipeandsun ported on the derrick, avalved discharge-pipe connected with the dischargeopening of the: pump,a grappling-fork applied to the lower {end of the suction-pipe and meansfor open--- ing or closing the grappling-fork, substan tially as setforth. i I 2. The combination, with a barge having a longitudinalcentersopeningapump onsaid I I barge, a vertically' -swingingisuction-pip passing through saidopeningalower vertical; sectionconnected b'ya flexible joint with the inain section! of" thesuctionpipe, a collar f guidedon the lowersection, a grappling forksuspended from saidjcollar, chains applied to i the guide-collar andfork respeetivelma der 7 I rick on the barge provided'with guide-pulleysl f Y for said chainsanda winding-drum on whic said chains are wound inopposite direction,

so that b'ythealternate turning of the drum in tone or oppositedirection the raisingor loweringoftheguidecollarand theopening orclosing of the grappling-fork is produce substantiallyasset forthi asset forth.

4. The combination of the lower end section of a suction-pipe, having afixed collar at its lower end, of a guide collar on said end section, agrappling-fork, the jaws of which are suspended by lever-arms from saidguidecollar, a set of chains attached to said guidecollar, a second setof chains also attached to said collar and passed through pulley blocksconnected to the pivots of the jaws and a winding drum on which bothsets of chains are wound in opposite direction so as to produce by thealternate turning of said drum the alternate raising or lowering of theguidecollar and opening and closing of the fork substantiall y as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI HUSSEY. Witnesses:

PAULGOEPEL, OSCAR F. GUNZ.

